Parents still concerned about Lamarque

NORTH PORT, FL - More tests reveal no noticeable health concerns at Lamarque Elementary School in North Port.

"I'm very mad." Parent Cara Wilke says she should have been told about health tests at the school, tests being done because staff members continue to complain that something in the 7 year old building is causing them to get sick. "My daughter has been sick for a month. It would have been nice to know that there are other people going through the same thing. That maybe we needed to look at the source of the problem which could possibly be the school."

The Sarasota County School District and Ken Macci with the Florida Department of Health say so far there is nothing to tell. "I found nothing to indicate that there was a corrosive drywall issue. I performed an indoor air survey. The parameters I found were all within reason."

The district has spent more than a quarter of a million dollars looking into the issue. A 140 page study conducted by OHC Environmental Engineering did find traces of some sulfides in the drywall.

Our expert Jack Frost with Drywall Science agreed with the study's findings that it's pretty normal. "There are some 30 different volatile gasses and organic compounds in very small quantities from drywall."

The school district says they also know they do not have tainted Chinese drywall. There are claims that some American products could also contain larger amounts of corrosive and harmful gases and perhaps tests for the Chinese drywall will not detect it.

Frost says there is yet to be any link. "There has never been a confirmed case of American drywall that exhibits the same symptoms as defective Chinese drywall."

The school district says they're not done though. They're now bringing in toxicology experts from the University of South Florida, testing the water supply, the roof for leaks and mold, and the buildings slab to make sure nothing is getting in from the soil.

At least now parents like Cara know. "I truly believe there is something at the school that is triggering this response out of all these different individuals."

The school district says they will be conducting a teleconference for parents to listen in and ask questions next Tuesday night at 7pm. Parents should receive a call on how to participate.

An anonymous complaint has been sent to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration about the smell at a North Port school. Staff at Lamarque elementary have been complaining about what they believe is sewer gas causing headaches and nausea.